Striker Giroud urges Arsenal gaffer to sign up and stay

Olivier Giroud: “I wanted to renew my deal and I think it was the right moment for me to sign a new contract with the club’

Published: 19 January, 2017
by STEVE BARNETT

OLIVIER Giroud has joined the list of Arsenal players calling for manager Arsene Wenger to sign a new contract with the north London club.

Wenger was “delighted” when Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Francis Coquelin all put pen-to-paper on new long-term deals last week.

Fans are hoping that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will now follow suit, but Ozil was reportedly quoted as saying that his future at Arsenal depends on Wenger staying.

Giroud has now waded in calling for Wenger, whose contract runs out in the summer, to follow in his footsteps and extend his stay.

“I hope that he is going to stay,” said the French forward. “He built this club and I don’t think he will leave.

“I wanted to renew my deal and I think it was the right moment for me to sign a new contract with the club. And we’re going to hope that he signs himself as well now, and a couple of other players do as well.”

Meanwhile, Giroud says that he “understands” why top players are considering big-money offers from China, but insists his only interest is winning the Premier League with Arsenal.

“Honestly, from my point of view, I will tell you that I can understand, but if you asked me if I want to go now I will tell you ‘no’,” he said.

“Right now, the Premier League is still my main target. But once I have won the title one day, why not? You never know.”

Reflecting on his new deal, Giroud added: “I am very happy to carry on this good adventure with the Arsenal family. I am very delighted with the club, the boss and myself.

“I want to win even more trophies, so hopefully it’s going to be this year.”

In other news, if Sanchez fails to agree new terms with Arsenal there are growing reports that Italian giants Juventus are willing to make a sensational swap deal that would see Miralem Pjanic move the other way.

Sanchez has less than 18 months remaining on his current deal, and fans fear that any failure to agree an extension could see the Chilean move to rivals Manchester City or Chelsea.

With that in mind, Wenger would surely favour a deal that involved capturing attacking midfielder, Pjanic.